Tales From the City of Neverwinter
by Shinigamiwillrule9
Summary: A compilation of the chapters from my story Neverwinter. Each chapter is a 'volume,' and each volume includes five original chapters. This is for those of you who dislike changing pages so often because of my short chapters. Keeps original T rating. Enjoy!


**TALES FROM THE CITY OF NEVERWINTER**

VOLUME ONE

'o'

'''

**CHAPTER ONE**

** N**evern had always wanted to be the greatest conjuration mage there ever was. And, since he'd been accepted into the Training Academy for soldiers in the city of Neverwinter, Nevern was much closer to living that dream.

Nevern was a scrawny 17-year-old elf with floppy, long brown hair and hazel eyes. He was hardly ever seen without his red cloak and his Familiar, Metzuu,* a hellhound. He'd been parent-less ever since the orc raid back when Nevern was a child. Sometimes, Nevern would relive that night in his sleep.

This was one of those rests.

Nevern was back to being a small child, barely the age of five. His ears had only just started to gain a point, and his eyes were just starting to change from the milky whites all elves in Neverwinter are born with+.

It was a normal night. Nevern was walking with his father and mother, his father with his ever-present dagger down his boot. The trio was moving towards the inn where they stayed. They were perhaps a couple yards from the heavy oak door when the large gates leading to the Blacklake District boomed. The civilians on the street, including Nevern and his family, were startled and turned towards the gates.

It was a sudden, unavoidable, bloody onslaught. Orcs, a sickly green color with nose rings in their nose slits, rushed through gates suddenly slung open. Machetes waved in the air and black hair in ropes flew behind the orcs. They tore through the streets, slashing, stabbing, slamming, punching, kicking...killing.

Barely anyone was spared. Lady Aribeth was safe in the city center's stronghold, of course, and some of the children, hidden by their parents, were not found. Nevern, hidden in the inn but unable to help himself, peeked out of the door and saw his parents fall. He didn't make a sound until he was safely under a table with the other children in the inn; then he started crying.

After he stopped crying, he hated orcs. And he promised himself he would never cry again.

As it always went with this nightmare, Nevern's life soared before his semi-conscious eyes. He grew to be ten, and already knew how to use a dagger. He grew to be twelve, he could summon a bat. He grew to be fifteen, he could now use both a crossbow and summon a dire badger. Once he hit seventeen, he knew how to use a short bow, longbow, and summon his Familiar, which he named Metzuu.

And that brought him to here. Neverwinter's own Soldier-Training Academy.

As it always happened, Nevern woke in a cold sweat. This was normal for him, however. The nightmare recurred about four times each week. He grasped for the canteen on the armoire next to his bunk and, when he had it, he took a swig. The magical brew, tasting hot because of the Ember Peppers+, energized Nevern and guaranteed he wouldn't fall asleep again. Nevern had learned from experience that the vision repeated itself if he fell asleep more than once in the same night.

Nevern sat up in bed, the sheets pooling around his slender frame. He slipped into his familiar red robes and moved quietly out of the room so as not to wake Regor, the swordsman Nevern shared the room with.

Nevern needed some company. Once he'd shut the door quietly behind him, he muttered a few words: _Smmun fumliere; Metzuu_. With a blue pulsing light in the desired area, Nevern's hellhound companion stepped out of the Abyss.

"**You require my aid, Master?**" inquired the hellish canine, cocking its black head. Its eyes burned the color of hot embers.

"Yes, Metzuu," Nevern said in his usual soft voice. "I require some company."

Nevern's Familiar nodded, then sat beside him. They stayed like that most of the night, Nevern occasionally summoning bats, Metzuu's favorite food. Eventually, however, the companions grew weary of the hard marble underneath them, so Nevern returned Metzuu to the Abyss as his familiar nodded at him. Nevern gave a soft sigh and returned to his bed.

A few hours later, morning came. Nevern yawned and sat up, then suddenly realized he had forgotten to remove his red attire. A bit embarrassed, he got out of his bed. Thankfully, Regor the swordsman was still snoring away, so he wouldn't know. Nevern wasn't entirely sure why the situation bothered him so much, but he wasn't really all that well liked by many, except for the masters of the classes. Regor was one of Nevern's few true friends, and Nevern wasn't ready to lose that due to an embarrassment.

Soon, Regor too was up, strapping on his scabbard with his favorite sword in it. It was wide and sharp, a two-handed. From what Nevern understood, Regor had inherited it from his father Amorus the blacksmith, who was dying in the streets at the moment. Nevern hadn't been outside the Academy for months, so he had no idea what was going on behind those high, strong walls.

What Nevern didn't realize is that he would soon find out.

**CHAPTER TWO**

** S**creams. Screams all around him. A body thudded to the floor on his right. A blood-stained sword clattered to the ground. A flying carcass flew through the air and slammed into a wall with a sickening _crack_.

What the hell had happened?

'o'

'''

Nevern's day started out normally: a brutal workout with his friend, Regor. Regor had vigorously slashed and hacked at a training dummy and did pushups on the side. Nevern was forced to repeatedly send Magic Missiles flying dead-on into a bulls-eye on one of the school's targets and also maintain a conjured Illusion.*

All in all, a normal morning.

Nevern and Regor then filed in with all of the other troops at the academy, according to title (Nevern's was Orchater, Regor's Oresword. They were very close to each other in the line). Then the troops marched for breakfast. Nevern ate quietly, taking in some sausages. Regor ate boisterously, chomping on bread with butter and hash-browns.

All in all, a normal breakfast.

Then the troops dispersed for noon-time classes. Regor went to swordsmanship and iron-working, Nevern went to spell casting and archery.

All in all, a normal afternoon.

And then things started to go downhill. It started with a dull thud on the front door of the academy when Nevern and Regor were being promoted to guards by Lady Aribeth herself. Nevern was brought back to the thud that resounded on the gate of the Blacklake District, years ago...

The thud came again. Aribeth was alert now; she'd unsheathed her sword. Nevern and Regor realized something was wrong. Regor unsheathed his longsword (now branded with the Neverwinter Guard regalia) and Nevern summoned his Familiar as quickly as possible.

Metzuu looked up at his master and seemed to realize no talking was necessary. Nevern's Familiar settled into a battle stance, haunches raised and teeth bared in a hellish growl.

"Damn," muttered Regor, "when are the enemies going to show up?" And show up they did. Four shadowy figures materialized from thin air- rogues –and Regor was stabbed through his leather armor in his gut.

A painful scream, and Regor left this world. Nevern was blinded by rage and tears as he rushed at the murderer, a humanoid with yellow skin, red eyes, and a shroud over the rest of his or her face. Nevern wasn't sure what he was going to do, but it didn't matter anyway. Aribeth took down the strange figure with a downward slash of her sword and then turned to face the other three.

"You didn't kill the target," she told the assassins, and let hell break loose.

Metzuu, like a flash of lightning, was on top of one of the assassins and tearing his or her throat out. Blood spurted everywhere, coating Nevern's Familiar in the substance of death.

Nevern outstretched his hand and a Magic Missile went sailing for the third humanoid and struck dead-on, just like he'd practiced. The assailant shuddered once, then died.

Aribeth moved for the last one, and a sword, fangs, and missile struck the last assassin at once. He or she was painfully killed.

Nevern dropped next to his fallen friend and tore off the leather armor. Somehow, he already knew Regor was dead. A laceration on his back was tinged green at the edges, and a bit of blood drizzled out as Nevern watched. Poison. Nevern's only friend had been poisoned and killed with a single jab. Regor had trained most of his life to get defeated with a cheap shot. This filled Nevern with a rage he'd never quite felt before. Blood began to pool beneath Regor's front end, and Nevern covered his friend's wound with the bloodstained armor.

Aribeth watched Nevern, regret in her eyes. She then offered him a dagger. "If you're able to get in close," she explained. Strengthening himself, he took it and nodded, a few tears, unstopped, running down his face.

Aribeth and Nevern moved on, throwing open the wooden doors of the promotion chamber. They opened the doors to a scene out of a horror tale. Skeletons tore at the dead flesh of corpses on the ground, hastily sticking the meat in their white jaw bones. Nevern saw a lone mage at the end of the hall trying valiantly to kill the undead with flaming arrows to no avail. Nevern covered my eyes as the mage fell.

Soon enough, the skeletons noticed the live humans and picked up their weapons: bones strapped to metal handles with leather strips. These bones looked sharp, however; sharp enough to kill. A skeleton rattled its jaw bone against its skull in a threatening manner; blood, dried and fresh, caked the jaw.

Nevern started off by ordering an attack by Metzuu. His Familiar moved towards the undead with amazing speed and slammed into one of them. The skeleton fell, consumed by Hellfire. Metzuu was immediately on top of another, crunching ribs with sharp fangs.

Aribeth moved into battle as well, slashing with her sword left and right, cleaving skeletons in two. She certainly has extraordinary skill with a sword, Nevern found himself thinking.

Nevern began sending forth a barrage of Magic Missiles, striking skeletons in the ribcage, knees, neck bones- anywhere that was important to keeping the skeletons mobile.

Soon, the trio had killed all of the skeletons in the hall. Aribeth began checking some of the corpses. She turned to Nevern and said solemnly, "Among the dead are the swordsman, Grenor, the mage, Arkaiya, and the rogue, Nymphes," she said. Nevern recognized those names as the teachers at the academy.

Metzuu began sniffing at the door at the other end of the hall, which led to the Great Hall. It was a gigantic, cavernous, marble room where troops ate meals. Suddenly Metzuu cried out, "**Master! There are goblins behind this door!**" as the door burst open, releasing a horde of goblins.

They were lithe, green-skinned little creatures. All of them had large noses, sharp ears, and beady red eyes. Most were adorned with rings in their noses, ears, or belly buttons. Many had goblinmade armor, a crude leather protective clothing, and fewer had chipped swords made of metal known as gobliniron+.

Aribeth flew into battle once more. Nevern still, to this day, cannot describe how fierce she was in that battle. Metzuu helped by breathing Hellfire on the horde, and Nevern sent Magic Meteors* crashing down when he could.

Soon, black goblin blood covered the open door and the walls near it. Metzuu began sniffing through the dead bodies to find something possibly useful for Nevern. Finding nothing useful but a Light Wound Potion, the Familiar returned to its master. Aribeth stared down at the goblins with a form of pity in her eyes.

Abruptly, she said, "Come. We must move on." Nevern obeyed, following the Lady through the doors and into the Great Hall.

Nevern stifled a yell as he saw the massacre that had occurred in the Hall. Corpses lay everywhere, and the skeletons and goblins in the Hall weren't done. Humans, elves, and dwarves alike fought for their lives against the deadly creatures. Horuno, a portly dwarf who was good with throwing axes and melee, was putting up a valiant effort. He, however, fell like the rest, blood flying up into his prized beard.

Metzuu rushed into battle once more, falling upon the enemy like a rock on a traveler. Goblins fell to the whirling claws, skeletons went flying when assaulted with Hellfire.

"Get out!" Nevern screamed to Aribeth, immediately before he was slammed by something hard in the head.

In a daze, Nevern fell, feeling nothing. Is this how I will fall? thought Nevern, his head hitting the marble floor. In the same raid Regor fell in?

**S**creams. Screams all around him. A body thudded to the floor on his right. A blood-stained sword clattered to the ground. A flying carcass flew through the air and slammed into a wall with a sickening _crack_.

That's right. That was what happened.

Remembering himself and his surroundings, Nevern sat up, his head throbbing in protest. A dagger drawn, a single thrust... a goblin, slain by his hand, landed at his feet.

Nevern pushed himself up with his hands, getting off the ground. An armored man's corpse narrowly avoided bowling Nevern over again as it flew past. Nevern saw the source of the flying bodies.

So they'd brought a goblin mage along.

Nevern wiped off his dagger with his robes. He flipped it in his fingers skillfully. When had he gotten so skilled with a dagger? But he didn't care. He was only intent on the mage, the purple fire billowing around its gnarled fingers, its ugly leering face.

The goblin noticed him. It grinned, readied that purple fire. Nevern hardly saw it. He threw. The dagger went straight into the mage's gut, a look of surprise crossed the goblin's face. Nevern outstretched his hand. A plume of Hellfire, created with the power of his Familiar, flared from Nevern's palm.

A blackened corpse. A bloodstained hall. Bodies. Screaming. Swords. Regor.

Nevern fainted.

**CHAPTER THREE**

**T**he thing waved its spindly limbs at him, a brain where a head should be. It chattered, an odd, hollow sound, and then leaped at one of his companions. Metzuu growled, then moved in for an attack on the brain creature. The creature leaped out of Metzuu's way nimbly, and-

Nevern woke up on a cot.

Nevern sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes- and then rubbing his side when he found it hurt. He was in a large marble hall, not dissimilar to the one he'd fainted in...

Fainted in! The Great Hall! What had happened? Nevern tried to stand but failed, his limbs quitting on him. He thudded back onto the hard surface of the cot. Nevern began to analyze his environment again, though from a prone position this time. To the right of him were two patients and a large, gilded door. To his left were five patients, one getting his arm amputated, and a large pillar. This pillar was cloned in the middle of the room, where a male elf and an elderly Helmite stood.

Nevern was adjusting to this as a nurse bustled up with a canteen. Nevern drank greedily, suddenly realizing his throat was bone-dry. The nurse stared at Nevern until he finished; upon which he gave back the canteen, wiping his lips and coughing slightly. The nurse moved away to refill the canteen and probably give it to the other 'patients.' Nevern didn't want to think it, but the others on cots in the hall looked dead already.

Nevern closed his eyes for what seemed to be only a split-second, but suddenly he awoke from a long and fitful sleep, screaming.

He'd had _that _dream again. The orcs.

One of the nurses shushed Nevern, another actually bustled up to him to try and quiet him. However, Nevern didn't calm down until Lady Aribeth entered Nevern's line of sight with the male elf he'd seen before.

Panting, Nevern sat up. He realized he was coated with a layer of sweat, which glistened due to the torchlight in the hall.

"What's wrong, Nevern?" Aribeth asked, a concerned furrow creasing her brow. The male elf next to her crossed his arms, looking upon Nevern with a form of pity. Aribeth knelt beside Nevern.

"Dream..." Nevern panted. "Orcs...dead...Blacklake..."

Aribeth looked up at the other elf, who gave her a 'Put him out of his misery.'

That snapped Nevern out of his dreams quickly, and Nevern wiped his forehead defiantly. "I'm...I'm fine," he said, supporting himself with his arm as he made a bid at rising. The nurse who'd come over tried to steady Nevern, but he shook her off.

Aribeth nodded and straightened up. Nevern turned to her companion. "And who are you?" asked Nevern. The elf looked surprised at being addressed.

"I am Fenthick," the elf introduced himself. He outstretched his calloused hand for Nevern to shake. Nevern took it, studying the elf and noticing Fenthick did the same to him. Fenthick had the longest elf ears Nevern had ever seen, forest-green eyes, and wavy blonde hair held up by a band. "Aribeth's partner."

Nevern was surprised, and looked at Aribeth, whose cheeks had obtained a flushed color. Then he looked back to Fenthick and said, "Congratulations."

Fenthick looked embarrassed, crossing his arms again and looking down, a flush to his cheeks. "Well, I tried," Fenthick managed.

"And succeeded," Nevern said, having to suppress a smile when he saw Fenthick squirming at this comment.

Finally, Aribeth said, "Nevern, I need to talk to you," and Nevern moved off with her.

As they walked to the large door to our right, he looked to the left. The Helmite he'd seen conversing with Fenthick before stood in his field of vision, in a corner. The Helmite glared at Nevern.

Then they reached the door. Aribeth opened it, and the two of them stepped inside a room. Nevern noticed immediately the raised section in the center of the room, with a shining golden energy and a strange symbol glowing blue on it. Aribeth, however, moved him to the left of the raised section.

"Nevern, this is incredibly important," she began. Nevern nodded, his strange elation at causing Fenthick's discomfort disappearing. "This dire situation was caused by the attack on the Academy. When we were attacked, our enemies raided a hall I thought only I knew about. This was the Waterdhavian Chamber. It housed four of the most dangerous creatures known to this world, and they are all key components to destroying this plague."

At Nevern's puzzled look, Aribeth's face adopted a look of astonishment. "You don't know of the plague?" she inquired, as if this was the most surprising news in the world.

"Yes..." said Nevern, "I don't know. I knew none of what was going on behind the walls of the Academy the entire time I was there."

Aribeth put a hand to her forehead as if exasperated. "Nevern, there has been a plague in this city for two months now. People are dying in the streets. The guards, and I, feel an extreme sense of impending danger, like a large raid of some sort; taking advantage of our weakness."

Nevern was shocked. Life (or, in this case, death) was that horrible in the city? Why hadn't the citizens moved? He presented this question to Aribeth.

Aribeth looked at him, a look that made Nevern feel like a fool. "We can't, frankly," she said, that worried crease on her brow once more. "The four ways out are all corrupted in some way; Blacklake has the desperate plague victims and a cruel leader of an orc. Many have been sent to kill the orc, but none have returned. The Docks has a corrupt trading system, and none have been able to fix the problem. The Peninsula District has escaped prisoners, and it seems the Foremaster is either unable to solve the problem or is dead. The Beggar's Nest... well, this may sound like a work of fiction, but... they are plagued by the walking dead."

The last one shocked Nevern. Walking dead? That was a horror tale, something to keep children in line... was it really true?

Aribeth nodded at Nevern's expression, which Nevern guessed was revealing. "I lie not," said Aribeth. "And the problem at large here is that the four Waterdhavian creatures all escaped to one of the districts each. I think the best one for you to go after first is the one in the Peninsula District... from eyewitness accounts, we have reason to suspect that the Brain Devourer, one of the creatures, is hiding somewhere there."

Nevern nodded. "I see," he said simply. Aribeth returned the physical gesture, and then outstretched her hand. In her palm lay a strange, luminous white stone. Nevern took it, and then delivered another confused expression.

Aribeth said, "That is a recall stone. It will take you to a portal you key it to. It is currently connected to the portal there." She pointed her forefinger at the raised section of the room, with its blue symbol.

Nevern looked at her and said, "This will be useful in my quest."

Aribeth looked at him hopefully, saying, "So you accept?"

"I do," said Nevern. "I am ready to go immediately." Aribeth nodded. Then a thought seemed to strike her.

"But your wounds..." she said, concerned again.

"Are healed," said Nevern, "while we talked I ran a small healing spell in the background. Trust me, Lady Aribeth, I am in peak condition."

Aribeth nodded once more, and said her farewells. Nevern turned to go, and moved to the door out, which lead to the City Core. Where his parents died...

As he was about to open the door to the outside, a voice from the shadowy corner nearest Nevern came. "Oi," it said.

Nevern paused, his hand hanging in the air. "Excuse me?"

A halfling stepped out the corner, twirling a dagger between his fingers.

"How do ya feel about a rogue joinin' ya?"

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Nevern stood, still as a board, as the halfling scrutinized him with a knife. The halfling had slanted, devillish eyes and a cocky smile, with a rogue's tunic on.

"So, whatya say? Yer quest sounds mighty interesting, and I couldn't help but overhear, so don't ask."

Nevern gulped, not entirely sure why he was so nervous. Metzuu could have ripped the little man apart.

"What is your price?" Nevern inquired, trying to enunciate carefully and failing miserably, mumbling the words more than saying them.

"Eh, two-fifty should work."

Nevern thought of saying that that was no way to speak to a potential employer, but he held his tongue. "Mighty fine price for a rogue, hm?" he said instead.

The halfling nodded, putting the point of his knife on the top of his glove and balancing it. "Pretty hefty, yeah. But I gotta make a livin,' huh?"

Nevern supposed that made sense, so he decided for a haggling route. "I'll give you one-fifty."

"Noch, no less... than one-seventy five." Nevern nodded, finding this acceptable, and handed over the money—a full two-hundred fifty, no less.

"Ah," said the halfling, his eyes twinkling as he took in the sight of the gold, "you was jus' testing, huh?"

"Indeed," said Nevern, trying to straighten up to look more threatening. As usual, he failed, but now he had a henchman.

"Well, name's Tomi Undergallows. Pleased to meetcha, and I'm servin' you from now on."

"I see," said Nevern, though he'd figured that out already. "Well, let's get moving."

"Yessir, let's do it!" Tomi said enthusiastically, and let Nevern take the lead out into the City Core.

Immediately, it was like Nevern was struck to the face. The stairs he and Tomi were standing on was coated with blood and sick. A woman, barely in her twenties, fell to the ground dead a few feet away from the stairs as Nevern watched. Froth came from her mouth as she lay, and the duo skirted away from the dead woman as they moved down the stairs.

On instinct, Nevern summoned Metzuu. He didn't even realize he'd done so until an impatient Familiar said, "**You required me, master?**"

"Och, that dog can talk! 'T ain't normal!" was Tomi's comment, and Nevern turned to the hellhound who was his faithful companion.

"Hello, Metzuu," he said, and summoned a bat for the Familiar to snack on. Metzuu's fiery eyes lit up in the Familiar form of glee as the hellhound pounced on the meal.

Tomi made disgusted sounds as Metzuu made loud eating ones as they walked. The three had just moved past the Trade of Blades when they saw the roaring fire and smelled the stench. The stench of burning flesh and misery.

Tomi immediately recoiled, shoving a hand over his nose. "By the gods—euch, that smell is right awful." Metzuu sniffed in the fire's direction interestedly, but Nevern distracted the Familiar with another bat.

Feeling sick, Nevern turned away from the plague fire. Tomi followed hastily, and Metzuu had to admit to himself that his bat was gone when it flitted away in a panic. Nevern whipped a map out of one of the inner pockets of his robe and studied it to distract himself.

'Okay,' thought Nevern, ignoring the bile in his throat as the smell worsened. 'We're here, and the gate's there... alright, it's this way.'

He directed the other two in the direction he'd figured out, and soon the three companions saw a large black gate with bloodstains. It was patrolled by two or three of the city guards.

Nevern moved up to the guard standing prone in front of the gate. "We'd like to get in," said Nevern. The guard looked Nevern up and down.

"You fit the description of the new soldier Lady Aribeth told us about. You're clear." And the guard opened the gate.

Nevern wondered briefly how the guard already knew Nevern's description, then deduced that Aribeth probably spread the word about him even before he was healed—a risky move, as Nevern might not have recovered.

The trio walked through the wide-open gates, and the guards shut the gates after them with a loud _CLANG_, and then a _boom _ as a board was lowered across the gate.

'They don't want us coming back out,' thought Nevern. 'Why in the world would they want us locked in here?'

And then Nevern saw. And then Tomi. And then Metzuu though Metzuu actually noticed first and hadn't said anything.

There were escaped prisoners. A lot of them.

And they were heading straight for Nevern.

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**T**he thugs didn't look like they were coming over to start a tea party. They looked ready to kill.

Nevern outstretched his hand and fired a magic missile, purposely missing. The spell exploded somewhere to the group's left. The warning missile had the right effect: the escaped prisoners glanced at each other uneasily, giving off wary expressions.

Then, the thug who looked like the leader shrugged and started forward, the rest of his group storming after him. Tomi leaped for the leader, knives unsheathed, and gave him two slashes to his prison attire-covered chest. The thug screamed, clutched at his chest, and fell to the ground. Tomi landed on the fallen leader and stabbed his knives deep into the thug's lower back.

Metzuu dashed forward as well, fangs bared. One of the prisoners had those fangs sunken into his neck soon after.

Nevern, in the meantime, was casting a massive Illusion- one of a shadow creature of some kind. It loomed over some of the thugs in the back. Nevern hastily solidified the Illusion's right 'claw'- something a lot easier than solidifying the whole mirage—and swiped at the prisoners, sending them sailing.

The trio continued in this pattern: Tomi leaping, slashing, and stabbing, Metzuu attacking with tooth and claw, and Nevern with his Illusion. Soon, the skirmish was over. Metzuu rushed over to his master, who was keeling over.

Tomi ran over to the Nevern and Metzuu, saying, "Ya alright, chief?"*

"Yes..." panted Nevern, "I used a lot of... magical energy... in the fight. It's quite... tiring." Tomi nodded understandingly.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard somethin' like that back in the day 'bout you sorcerer types. Let's get a move on, yeah?"

Nevern nodded, wiping away some blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Tomi didn't know it, but Metzuu did, as the Familiar was linked to his master: Nevern had used up even more energy in the battle than he'd let on. Tomi didn't know it, but even with using the incredibly tiring Illusion and solidifying it, Nevern had been running a minor protection spell on Tomi in the background the whole time.

However, the group was able to get walking just fine, Metzuu supporting Nevern through their link with willpower. Tomi walked ahead cheerily, somehow knowing the direction to the prison.

"How do you know where to go?" asked Nevern, forcing himself not to breathe heavily as he talked.

"Well, I been in this institution, that's how." Tomi said casually.

"I see," said Nevern, his eyebrow raised. "What did you do?"

"Tried to steal some rich pansy's paintin' for money. Not that big of I deal, I'd say."

Nevern wondered at this as the trio walked. So he was consorting with a known criminal? Then he was burning with this question: "So you were eventually set free?"

"Oh, yeah. 'Bout a year ago, I'd say." Nevern couldn't tell if the rogue was lying or not, but he saw no reason to distrust Tomi. If Tomi wanted to kill Nevern, he could have easily done it in the fight with the thugs. And if Tomi did try something like that later, Nevern, Metzuu, and any Dire creature would be able to handle the halfling.

Soon, Nevern was fully recovered from his exhaustion and conjured a bat for Metzuu to enjoy. Tomi rolled his eyes as he heard Metzuu eating again. "By the gods, keep yer bloody beast's volume down, yeah?"

Nevern smiled slightly but did nothing to stop Metzuu, since the Familiar ate a little quieter out of gratitude for Tomi's help in the fight.

Nevern didn't even realize the next wave of prisoners was in front of them until Tomi shouted, "Oh, gods, more?" and Nevern looked up.

This group was much larger than the first, and for some reason they looked tougher than the first, as well. The apparent leader said, "Get 'em, boys!" and the mob surged forward.

Immediately, Nevern stretched his hand toward the sky and released a batch of Magic Meteors to rain on the prisoners. Metzuu flashed forward and sent a spray of Hellfire before he was slammed aside with the flat of a sword.

Nevern felt Metzuu's wound like a physical blow. Thankfully, some of the Meteors came crashing down at that moment, crushing some prisoners with a sickening sound.

Tomi was having a bit more luck in the battle, however. Knives flashed like streams of silver around him, slashing at prisoners and felling them quickly.

Nevern stumbled over to Tomi, as Metzuu was bleeding, draining Nevern's own life force. Tomi nodded at his employer, and Nevern nodded back, before using the last of Metzuu's energy to release a spray of Hellfire from his hand.

The last of the thugs fell as Metzuu vanished, returning to the Abyss with a parting "**I hope I served you well, Master**."

Nevern knew the Familiar wouldn't be back for a while, as the hellhound had to heal in the Abyss. Nevern sat down with a heavy thud, and Tomi stared down at him.

"Ain't you gonna summon that hound o' yours again?" Tomi inquired. Nevern shook his head.

"Not for a while. He must recover his wounds. For now..." Nevern waved his hand, and summoned a Dire Badger. "...this will be a part of our party."

"Does this one talk?" asked Tomi, an eyebrow raised.

"No," said Nevern, "my Dire creatures are only as intelligent as a normal animal; no speech. But they understand human speech better than a normal animal, but only from their summoner. It's more of the mage's intelligence than the animal's that allows it to understand."

"I see. Well, we're here." Tomi said. Nevern looked up at Tomi, then at where Tomi's finger was pointing.

Nevern wished Metzuu was still with them as he stared up at the Peninsula District prison.

'o'

'''

** Hey there, everybody. This is the first volume of the Neverwinter compilation (which for some reason I called a collaboration in chapter five of the original). I hope, for those of you who hate having to switch pages so often because of my short chapters, you enjoy this format.**

** As you may know from the original _Neverwinter _or my profile, _Neverwinter _is going on hiatus. In other words, I'm taking a break from the story until I can get a bit of stuff off of my plate. I hope to be updating once more by next month. However, that's not a guarantee.**

** I hope to see you over at my YouTube channel, Obelisk Dialga, where I do Pokemon walk throughs. I haven't been very popular as of yet due to my recording tech (which is not very advanced,) but I'm a beginner and if you go check it out I hope you keep that in mind. I also hope to see you over at my other story, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Quest, or its compilation, Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Quest: Chronicles.**

** I'll miss you guys!**

** -Shinigami out.**


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